Passenger Trains > Amtrak wants additional $1B in 2004 in capital funds

Read all about it on pg 2 of today\'s Wall Street Journal! If this happens, it must mean the Red Sox have won the World Series!

Read the story. Premature to speculate on what Amtrak will or won\'t get in the future. However, restored credibility will improve its chances. Secondly, it needs to provide specifics on where the money will go and what benefits it will provide. My sense is that Amtrak has not managed capital spending well in the past, but there is no reason why that has to be the case in the future.

Gunn is saying they want an additional 1-2 million for upgrades along the NEC for each of the next 5 years. This would include trackwork, bridge repairs, and equipment repairs, as well as some new equipment.

Corey

Go, Gunnmen, Go, Go, Go!!!

Boston Red Sox? how about Chicago Cubs.

But let\'s take note of Mr. Simon\'s insightful thought noted above.

Track.

To run their trains efficiently, congestion problems must be mitigated. That requires infrastructure improvements over the system, not even counting their NEC.

The most improvements on the NEC would have to be replacing the entire catenary system, repair bridges, imporve cross-overs, and repair/rebuild the tunnels in and out of Baltimore. Also, the right of way along the NEC could use some cleaning.

Yep. Also add to this wish list the installation of ACSES over the entire NEC to allow 135-150mph operations instead of 125.

Problem is, 1 billion a year for ten years wouldn\'t suffice for the Baltimore tunnels alone. And the State of Maryland is unwilling to pay for the NEC as it previously stated. We will probably see improvement in Baltimore tunnels when they are in a near-collapse state and the seriousness of the situation will require their closure.

Either that, or a terrorist attack.

JF

Amfleet wrote:

> The most improvements on the NEC would have to be replacing
> the entire catenary system, repair bridges, imporve
> cross-overs, and repair/rebuild the tunnels in and out of
> Baltimore. Also, the right of way along the NEC could use some
> cleaning.
>
> [%sig%]

No coment guys, but hey, 1-2 billion? Man that\'s a hell of a lot cheaper than what United wanted (12 billion) for only 6 months! Go Gunn, we\'re all pulling for ya man!

I agree...Amtrak needs it and MORE!

Amtrak needs to be expanded into a TRUE national network, the lond distance stuff connecting to the high speed stuff.

It should be possible to take a train from Denver to Houston without having to go through Chicago. It should be possible to take a train from Chicago to Florida via Louisville, Atlanta. It should be possible to take a train to Las Vegas.

All of this SHOULD be possible and if anyone has a chance of making it happen, it is Mr. Gunn..

But first the damage control must be started. Mr. Gunn is doing that now.

And you should also be able to take a train from Denver to Spokane & Seattle, WA and also to Portland, OR without first having to go to the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Area and than up the coast.